117 Degrees of "Freedom"

THIS is what's happening right now:

As Baghdad boils, blackouts shut down air conditioning and anger Iraqis
By Sameer N. Yacoub, Associated Press, 6/27/2003 16:15 BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)
Sabotage against Baghdad's power grids has blacked out much of the city for days on end, forcing residents to sleep on roofs, fan infants and study by candlelight. The electric outages are also fueling anti-U.S. sentiment at a time occupation forces are seeking to quell a worsening insurgency that has seen a sharp rise in attacks on American troops.

With temperatures reaching 117 degrees, life has been almost unbearable. ''We have been living without electricity completely for the past three days,'' said Siham Ibrahim, a 48-year-old woman who has been sleeping with her family on the roof of their two-story house in Baghdad. ''When the Americans removed Saddam, we expected that we would have a better life, but things are getting worse.''

Coalition forces have struggled to re-establish basic services like electricity and water since ousting Saddam Hussein's regime.

And THIS is what the Bush Administration says is happening:

washingtonpost.com Experts Question Depth of Victory - Attacks Indicate Baath Party Is Not Cowed - By Thomas E. Ricks - Washington Post Staff Writer - Friday, June 27, 2003; Page A20
...Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said the trend in Iraq is still good and should not be seen through the lens of one day's events. "The direction is pretty clear," he said in a telephone interview. "It is toward a more secure Iraq," in which the Baathist position is weakening and basic services are being restored.

Wolfowitz did not foresee any major changes in the U.S. military posture in response to the attacks. "I think that the basic approach that the military is using is a sound approach," Wolfowitz said.

Hmm. Whom should I believe...